Sri Lanka visit bolsters Coalition confidence over policy

ELEANOR HALL: Well, the Federal Coalition appears more adamant than ever that its policy of turning boats back from Sri Lanka is the right one.

A Coalition delegation has just returned from the country, saying that while it still has some way to go on the path to reconciliation, it is making fast progress and reports of persecution are rare.

But a local Tamil leader has accused the Coalition of ignoring Sri Lankas significant human rights problems.

Lexi Metherell has our report.

LEXI METHERELL: After almost a week in Sri Lanka, the Coalition's deputy leader, Julie Bishop and immigration spokesman Scott Morrison appear confident there is no problems in turning around boats from the country.

JULIE BISHOP: As a result of our visit we are satisfied that the policy positions that we have taken are the correct ones at this time.

SCOTT MORRISON: If people are basing their impressions on what policies should be right in Sri Lanka particularly in relation to border protection of experiences of 18 months ago, 12 months ago, even six months ago, then they are behind the pace.

LEXI METHERELL: They met representatives from the Tamil parliamentary party, communities in the Tamil-dominated north, the government and the military.

Although they concede there is a long way to go, two years after the end of a bloody civil war, the picture they paint is of a country making progress.

Scott Morrison.

SCOTT MORRISON: The reports of midnight abductions in white vans and the brutality of torture and so on, that was a routine thing some years ago. We would press keenly in all of our meetings to be trying to understand the presence of this today and the reports of those things barely arose and when did, it was to events that had taken place some time ago.

There have been some arrests particularly up in the north at the university campus but those arrests everyone knows where everybody is.

Those people haven't disappeared. They are being investigated for various matters that the authorities wish to investigate them for and it's important, as Julie said, that we don't involve ourselves in the domestic politics.

LEXI METHERELL: The Federal Government has been returning both Tamils and Sinhalese people against their will to Sri Lanka.

It has said the majority of Sri Lankans seeking asylum in Australia are economic refugees.

Scott Morrison agrees.

SCOTT MORRISON: The opportunities for Sri Lankans, all Sri Lankans, Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim to have a peaceful and prosperous future is extraordinary and I think we should be doing all we can to try and encourage that.

LEXI METHERELL: But Tamil advocates take exception to that.

The Coalition delegation says the Sri Lankan government's building homes to house displaced people and dramatically improving roads.

But the secretary of the Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations, Victor Rajakulendran, says the homes are mainly for security forces members and the improved roads don't extend into Tamil villages.

He says many Tamils are being denied jobs.

VICTOR RAJAKULENDRAN: I also would like most of the people who are remaining in Sri Lanka now after the war, a lot of people have died, a lot of people have been killed but the rest of the people to stay there and strengthen their community. That is what the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) is talking about but you can't avoid them individual fleeing economic persecution.

LEXI METHERELL: Dr Rajakulendaran says the Coaltion's position is an election ploy.

VICTOR RAJAKULENDRAN: Yes, it is duly for the purpose of feeling that on September 14 elections, we have done this. That is all my conclusion is. She has contradicted her own stand she took in the Australian Parliament speaking to the human right violations of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

LEXI METHERELL: The Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has just returned from her own fact-finding trip, visiting Australia's detention facilities on Manus Island which have just been slammed in a UNHCR report.

She remains concerned about coalitions particularly for Tamils in Sri Lanka and doubtful that the Coalition can carry out its pledge to stop asylum seeker boats.

SARAH HANSON-YOUNG: We had a boat of asylum seekers intercepted yesterday. Over 130 people on that boat. People have not stopped coming out of desperation despite Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard saying if we locked up, we stripped away their rights, we broke international law that the boats would stop. Well, they haven't stopped.